I was the one who asked that question in 2000. The flights to Australia and Asia (yes, they're that long!) have not been a problem. I did discover one trick to constant travel. Injecting the 2 10,000 doses at once seems to have the same efficacy as twice a week. So for a 10 day trip (eg) I inject 2 doses before I leave and 2 when I return home. My hemocrit levels don't seem to have suffered.

Thanks again for your public service and great humor.
---------------------
Procrit and travel
Nov 18, 2005

Hey Dr. Bob,

Procrit is working well for me but my new job will have me travelling quite a bit. Any problems taking Procrit with me on long flights?

Many thanks, you're a wonderful resource for us all.

How can I donate an item for your next auction to benefit your foundation?

Finally, I heard the Frascino Medical Group and your Foundation have a new office. How do I make an appointment?

stryker

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hey Stryker,

I'll answer your three questions in reverse order:

Yes, The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation and the Frascino Medical Group are all under one roof at our new location:

1000 Fremont Ave., Suite 145 Los Altos, CA 94024

To schedule an appointment, just give the office a call at 650-917-1357.

Items for our live or silent auction can be donated by advising the Foundation of your wishes and details about the item. We have one major event per year in the Bay Area that includes both a live and silent auction. Thanks for your interest! We can be reached through the Web site, www.concertedeffort.org, or by phone, 650-917-1357.

Finally, regarding Procrit. There are some limited precautions to take. I'll reprint a post from the archives that gives all the details, O.K.?

Safe travels.

Dr. Bob

Taking Procrit or Epogen on the move Sep 13, 2000

The doc just prescribed Procrit/Epogen for anemia. (In my 3rd month of treatment with AZT/3TC/Abacavir my viral load went from treatment-naive 10,000 copies to <25, but my hemacrit is down). I am supposed to inject 10,000 units twice a week.

My problem is relatively trivial, but important to me. I travel constantly for my work, and sometimes go for weeks without seeing home. How do I refrigerate the stuff while travelling? I have two 18 hour flights scheduled this week, and I wonder what are the exact temperature parameters for preserving the drug over 1-2 weeks? Thanks for giving your time to this forum. It is a public service that many appreciate.

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi,

You question is far from trivial and one that I have not been asked recently so I'm glad you took the time to write to us. First off your dose is a bit unusual for a starting dose. The recommended starting dose is 10,000 units three times per week or 40,000 units once per week. The dose is then adjusted based on your response. The guidelines for transporting the medication are slightly different depending on which concentration you are using. For instance if you are using the 10,000 unit vials, they are stable for 2 weeks at room temperature. The 40,000-unit vial is stable for 7 days at room temperature unopened.

Whenever you travel with the medication you should carry it on your person rather than pack it in the luggage as it should not be vigorously shaken ... considering the way baggage handlers toss luggage around would definitely be considered vigorous shaking! Of course if you fly United the chance of your luggage even getting to the same destination you do is also a worry.

The medication should not be exposed to temperatures above 84 degrees. It's best to keep it in an insulated bag with a cooling pack. But don't use those freezer packs because the medication should not be frozen either.

To sum up, if your trips are 1-2 weeks and you are using the 10,000 unit vials ' no problem with keeping them at room temp (so long as room temp is not above 84 degrees or below freezing ... if you are staying in a hotel where room temp is below freezing or above 84 degrees it's time to change hotels). Hotel room mini-bar refrigerators (not freezers) work well when they are available. If this doesn't answer your question please feel free to call the clinical affairs department at Ortho-Biotech for any additional information. Their number is 800-325-7504 prompt#2. You can tell them I sent you!!!

Now I have a question for you ... 18-hour flights??? Do you have business at the South Pole??? Or perhaps you are an astronaut??? At any rate what do you do with all the frequent flyer miles???

Stay Well

RJF

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello,

Thanks for your input and I'm delighted that almost six years later you are still reading this forum! As I mentioned before, the initial starting dose for Procrit is 40,000 units once per week. The dose is then adjusted based on response. Working closely with an HIV specialist (or hematologist) is critical in finding a dose and dosage schedule that works best for each individual.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

TheBody is a service of Remedy Health Media, 461 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10017. TheBody and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of TheBody's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: TheBody is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through TheBody should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.